The present invention relates to a device for mounting a visual indicator lamp or light emitting diode (LED) module, and specifically to positioning and securing the indicator lamp or LED module against unwanted movement.
Many mounting configurations for LEDs have been used to hold the LEDs in position. These include individual sockets mounted to a mounting system, as well as individual LED modules mounted along a solid bar. Examples of such mounting configurations are disclosed more fully in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,415, which is owned by the Assignee to the present invention, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
While a mounting bar such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,415 allows for retention of LED modules spaced along a mounting bar, when the LED modules or indicator lights are closely spaced, the top wall of the solid mounting bar may not provide adequate spring pressure to hold the modules in the mounting bar. This problem with retention of the LED modules or indicator lights is due to the bar deflection of the solid mounting bar. Since the bar is a solid piece, a small deflection near the module may prevent the bar from touching another module closely spaced from the first module. When a solid bar holding closely spaced modules does not allow adequate holding pressure, the LED modules or indicator lights may shift or even fall out of the mounting structure.
LED modules and indicator lights may vary somewhat in size. When modules of varying size are closely spaced, and the inter-module spacing is decreased, the mounting bar may not even touch a specific module due to bar deflection characteristics of the solid bar. When this happens, the module may shift, become loose, or even fall out of the mounting, or pull free from a connected circuit board, potentially creating a number of problems.
Further, the use of a single solid bar of uniform construction as is disclosed in the '415 patent does not allow for precision in location of modules with respect to one another. Without performing exacting measurements and the like, consistency in spacing is not readily obtainable.
Other structures for non-measured spaced mounting of LED modules and indicator lights are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,803,599 and 4,555,749. These mounting schemes do not provide for individual support and retention of LED modules or indicator lights in the mounting structure.
Since the LED modules and indicator lights are often held in the mounting bar or mounting structure in such a fashion that requires their exact placement and spacing, the failure of a mounting bar or scheme to quickly and accurately retain the LED modules or indicator lights in a specific orientation and location can create significant problems. Leads extending from the LED modules or indicator lights are often physically attached to a printed circuit board or the like, and any movement of the LED modules or indicator lights may not only cause damage to the indicator lights or LED modules, but also to the printed circuit board to which they are attached.
Many mounting schemes for LED modules and indicator lights, including those having individual sockets or placements for the LED modules or indicator lights, do not permit the modules or lights to be individually replaced without removing more than one LED module or indicator light. The invention disclosed in the '415 patent did allow for individual replacement of LED modules and indicator lights. However, due to the solid uniform construction of the mounting bar of that invention, when an individual LED module or indicator light was to be replaced, the deflection characteristics of the solid mounting bar, as discussed above, might cause displacement or loosening of adjacent LED modules due to bar deflection.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a mounting bar which will allow for individual placement and replacement of LED modules or indicator lights without loosening or moving adjacent indicator lights or LED modules.
It would further be desirable to provide a mounting bar which allows for a higher quality contact between the mounting bar and individual LED modules or indicator lights, without the problems associated with a solid mounting bar.
It would also be desirable to provide a mounting bar which allows for precise intermediate spacing between multiple LED modules and indicator lights.